We have not got enough to offer.
Does this make sense?
If they are genuinely fleeing war, hunger and misery can this
be logical?
What does it tell us Brian?
Are our winter Gites in deep Dordogne not as appealing as
the bright lights of London or Berlin?
I am trying to understand it all.....not just the figures.
The underlying problems.
The truth....
Yes I suppose that you are right...
Suppose...
But when everything is so dark and gloomy around you surely you
would be happy of an sign of a brighter future?
Thanks for the information, Brian! I have sometimes felt surprised that some refugees appear to have a clear idea of what they want, but on the other hand I suppose that refugees are often "get up and go" people at heart, (or they wouldn't be here in the first place) and that they need to project themselves into the future to keep going.
Mainly true Marie-Claire. Yesterday evening, reflecting on this post, I looked across a selection of media in various languages (struggle but can read enough Danish and Swedish) and see that Germany, Sweden and (surprise perhaps) Finland are far more in the minds of informed refugees. I specifically looked for where it was apparent that the refugees were not interviewed by UK/English speaking journalists but wherever possible by people who spoke their languages. However, one Palestinian who fled Syria alone after his entire family were killed, so no choice but to go alone as a young male, who was interviewed in Arabic said that word is getting round that the UK does not want them so he is not even trying although some English is the only European language he knows. That was in a German, very much centrist paper. Other papers, respectively left and right, are so clearly pro or contra biassed that it is sometimes difficult to see what truth there is in the reporting. Across the board here in Europe the numbers of refugees in Greece, Croatia, Serbia and Hungary varies so much it is more confusing than helpful to look at them. The bottom line though, is as you say, the majority are just glad of whatever they get. At the same time they are also confused and frightened by the way they are being treated.
Refugees who are asked for their opinion frequently say that they prefer Germany, England or Sweden. Why? Because those who give their opinion to journalists are more likely to be able to express themselves in English and have probably been given access to basic information such as unemployment rates and average income. Those who answer journalists are probably also more upbeat and may also have a little more time and energy to do so, they may also me more more vindictive….
The picture we are given is totally warped, the vast majority of refugees (not those the Telegraph chooses to ask…) are glad for everything they can get for themselves and their families.
Additionally, I think it's always good to remember that journalists are told to bring back stories which reflect a pre-conceived reality, nobody seems to be interested in any other version of "the truth".
I could not have said it better myself, thank you.
The majority of the British newspapers are peddling misinformation. The ones that are telling outright lies are the Daily Mail and the Express. Generally The Independent and The Guardian can be relied upon to give a balanced view whilst the Times and the Telegraph have a right wing agenda and cannot be relied on at all to give a balanced view.
There are very few people trying to get into Britain and claim asylum. There are currently 3000 people in the camps at Calais and not at any other Channel port. That really is a drop in the ocean compared with the numbers coming into Europe. The ones that do want to come to Britain tend to have either family ties or their first or second language is English. It is not because they want to come and live on benefits : they want to work.
France has taken a large amount of refugees and continues to do so. Francois Hollande is one of the group of European heads of state who is committed to setting up a quota system for all European countries - opposed by the British government who have agreed to take a pitifully small number (20,000) by 2020. Germany has already taken in over 500,000 and looks as though it will take in the same number again. Sweden has also taken in large numbers.
The belief that all refugees wish to come to Britain is totally false and is not born out by the figures except in the wildest dreams of the Daily Mail. The Journalists who work for the Mail and the Express are the worst sort of hack because not only do they tell lies but they know them full well to be lies.
Yes, it puts Germany and Sweden alongside the UK, unlike the DT take on the same topic. The reasons given in the first paragraph in the Local say it all in a nutshell but that is being said about the UK similarly by people trying to get to Germany and Scandinavia/the Nordic countries that the DT does not want to say. Never rely on the media for thorough information or try to read as many countries' press on both sides of the media political divide before getting a picture in your mind Barbara.
Read the article "Refugees snub france for a better life" in the Local.fr, it will give you some idea why they do not want to come to france.
Barbara, the Telegraph is as biased as any other media. They tend to defend government policy but not as harshly as the DM and not as reactionary as the pro-ukip Express, so just take a pinch of salt. The refugees have expectations that include safety, shelter and some kind of secure future that would ideally include going home to a better place. The places they go to are always 'second best' but the best under the circumstances. It is not that people do not want to come to France as much as when some get here they find that they are not accepted therefore want to go somewhere better. The UK has reputation for that for whatever reason, but when they get there the dream ends. Thus far Germany has been far more the migrants' preferred destination, but now it is becoming less friendly and reaching the immediate capacity which is what counts for people on the move now. The UK is simply the end of the line. After that is the Atlantic Ocean, if you see what I mean.
The few simply surveys carried out so far have shown that the USA and Germany are the two most favoured destinations. The Telegraph seems to be the UK flattering itself that it is people's first choice rather than admitting it is fifth or sixth choice at present and word about the unfriendliness is getting around. Sure, there are daily attempts to get there and a few thousand people in the camps but as a good look shows, whilst many are aiming to go to the UK specifically others have just ended up there at the end of an open line and others are wandering around unable to find a place, so stay among their own kind in Calais.
If it was as simple as people want to get to the UK exclusively then they might have substance in their story. As it is it is just press trying to deflect from other stories.